In the current investigation, Cox examined why some people are more likely than others to use their phones while driving, and what might persuade them to stop. Borrowing a behavior change theory called the Health Belief Model from the public health field, she developed ~60 questions designed to identify:
• how strong a threat the participants perceived manipulating a mobile device while driving to be,
• the benefits they believed were associated with refraining from using their device,
• the barriers that prevent them from changing their behavior,
• and the cues to action that might prompt them to do so.

“The Health Belief Model has been very useful in guiding disease-screening and immunization programs for many years,” said Cox. “It can also be an effective way to better understand distracted driving, which is a public health issue of another kind.”

Overall, most drivers agreed that distracted driving increased their risk of crashing, causing a major injury or damaging their vehicle, and most agreed that being reminded by a person they care about that they might hurt or kill someone would motivate them to take steps to avoid distraction. Not surprisingly, however, drivers who regularly interacted with their phones while driving perceived the threat to be less severe and the barriers to giving up the practice to be greater.

“Conventional, practical policy interventions that increase your chances of getting caught using your device when you shouldn’t, whether that means stronger laws, increased enforcement or camera-based ticketing, definitely have a big role to play in reducing distracted driving,” Cox said. “But these survey responses suggest that programs that leverage interpersonal relationships may also be effective.”